Little Sisters of the Poor Battles States Over Birth Control

Little Sisters of the Poor battles states in court over birth control mandate. The Catholic charity Little Sisters of the Poor is fighting an effort by California and Pennsylvania to block the Trump administration’s effort to roll back Obamacare’s birth control mandate. The charity was part of a large lawsuit brought by religious nonprofits that challenged the Obama administration over an Obamacare requirement for employers to provide birth control without requiring a copay from employees. The Trump administration rolled back that mandate last month. However, California and Pennsylvania are suing to preserve the mandate. In response, Little Sisters of the Poor is asking the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to stop the two states. “No one needs nuns in order to get contraceptives, and no one needs these guys reigniting the last administration’s divisive and unnecessary culture war,” said Mark Rienzi, senior counsel at Becket, the law firm that is representing the Catholic charity.